ABC 1962 Fall TV Season

[@roberthansen9694]

Donna Reed's parents lived in my town back at the time. She had to take the local Greyhound bus to get there. A couple of us kids went to the house, knocked on the door and she answered. She was pleasurable and courteous according to them. She was just as genuine and nice as the character she depicted in her program (this was back when the show was popular.) I wish more modern celebrities were as decent.

[@kathleenking47]

There are n0ne, only "reality shows"

[@Juliaflo]

When Miss Reed was known as Donna Belle Mullenger, right?

[@gardensofthegods]

Don't forget she's the same woman who played the girlfriend and then the wife and It's a Wonderful Life with James Stewart and yes I could believe she was genuinely a sweet and decent lady

[@BillyAlabama]

Which superstars have you deemed to be ungracious when strangers pop in uninvited? Please make it alphabetical. We anxiously await your response. Anxiously.

[@oliviajohnjohnolivia8142]

She was my babysitter once.

[@johnwohara]

Wow! IMO, they were great old shows with superb talent. I was 12 years old in 1962, and except for Stoney Burke I watched all the others but had completely forgotten some. Loved that synchronized *wink* at the end.

[@Flowerchild778]

I was only just born in '62😊

[@johnwohara]

@@Flowerchild778 I may have babysat you.

[@teresahooks3746]

I love this Ira. I'm a huge fan of the Donna Reed show.

[@harperstacey9604]

Donna Reed and Shelley fabares really look like mother and daughter. From Ms. Harper Stacey.

[@teresahooks3746]

@@harperstacey9604 they really do

[@harperstacey9604]

@@teresahooks3746 I loved the Donna Reed because it was a clean, wholesome family show for everyone to watch. From Ms. Harper Stacey.

[@MrMenefrego1]

This is great! I love this 1962 promo. But the only show I remember watching as a kid in the 60s was McHale's Navy, I sure don't recall any of those other shows.

[@jamesa.romano8500]

Until McHale's Navy came up I thought these were all just parodies made up for the show lmao

[@davidmcmahon4633]

Yep, don't remember seeing any of these shows outside of McHale's Navy and the Donna Reed Show. Never knew Gene Kelly did a TV show.

[@briangriffin4937]

‘Stoney Burke’ was my brother’s favorite show. ‘I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster’ was my favorite. ‘Going My Way slipped under my radar. I’ve never heard of that show.

[@ferociousgumby]

I was eight years old at the time, but it amazes me how I remember practically all of these shows. I loved Dickens/Fenster! I don't think it lasted very long. LOVED the theme song! I did a cartoon parody of Stoney Burke called Tony Smirk.

[@thewkovacs316]

john astin didnt believe the show was given enough time to grow on the audience...but ive seen some epis and it really wasnt all that good

[@jamesmiller4184]

Gumby? I loved Gumby.

[@kathleenking47]

@@thewkovacs316 Gomez Adams, and Steve McGarrett, were better roles for both of them

[@mikedoran9851]

FWIW, Stan Laurel didn't agree with you...

[@Neal_R]

Thanks Ira. Stoney one of my all-time favorites!

[@brianarbenz1329]

The carefree ways of Reed’s family and of most of these shows to premiere in September and October of ‘62 are the perfect contrasting backdrop to the missile crisis that was to happen. Would anyone have gotten the impression that the world was about to come within a heartbeat of ending?

[@johnlargan6045]

Loved this! It should've been included at an extra for the season 5 dvd set!

[@patrickmccarthy7877]

Ernest Borgnine was actually in the Navy.

[@clintonflynn815]

And most of the Navy was in Ernest Borgnine.

[@patrickmccarthy7877]

@@clintonflynn815 Good man.

[@calvinbealer7264]

God Bless Mr John "Gomez Adams " Astin . He is still with us.

[@virginiaconnor8350]

Maybe that explains my phone's ring tone, that of "The Addam's Family". I've had people snap their fingers along with the tune when it goes off when I'm travelling on a bus or car.

[@oliviajohnjohnolivia8142]

That is scary 😊

[@calvinbealer7264]

60 Years Ago. WOW 😲😳 how Time flies.

[@tj921able]

This was great! Thanks for sharing it!

[@RCALivingStereo]

That Donna Reed!!!

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

GREAT VIDEO!!! Thanks for posting this gem!

[@plunkervillerr1529]

I have season one on dvd ,love it .

[@jamesmiller4184]

I like your moniker. There was much about it TO love! (But impossible it is, to count the ways-so!) One thing we all did learn however was . . . "Keep watching the skies; watch THE SKIES!"

[@dondressel452]

We should have never put the crap on TV now and kept these kind of wholesome shows Look at what’s happened to our society nowadays

[@chuckfrost5624]

Our society was always bad, people kept most of the evil under raps. The priests were molesting children, people were afraid to say anything, those who did were not believed or run out of town. Evil was always here, people did a good job of hiding it.

[@wiedep]

The 'home' set is the one used for I Dream of Jeanie

[@kathleenking47]

WOW..it IS..but jeannie was in color

[@lamontbradford4630]

It was in Black and White in its first season. Went into color for the remaining four seasons.

[@DP-hy4vh]

1:48 - McGarrett before he moved to Hawaii and was put in charge of Five-O.

[@davidcouch6514]

I noticed that.

[@pendorran]

The Donna Reed Show boy was cute, I notice.

[@jamesmiller4184]

As noted here too. Heartily AGREED -- personality!

[@tj.espygil4544]

Paul Peterson. He stayed handsome as an adult. He has also written action adventure novels and is a child activist.

[@andyb811]

The voice of the robot on Lost in Space.

[@russbear31]

Out of all of these shows only McHale's Navy had any staying power. The rest were shows that flopped.

[@grantkruse1812]

Wrong, the Donna Reed Show was on air longer than McHale's Navy and rated higher each year.

[@NelsonVlog66]

Four years before my birth. Cool stuff.

[@CoopyKat]

I wonder if these promos were shown on tV -- 13 minutes is long for a promo!

[@manidig]

In later years a reel like this would be produced to show to affiliates at a convention. But ABC really was a distant third at this time so it might have aired in a 15 minute time slot.

[@gaiacelt]

Memory Lane💗

[@wmbrown6]

Did anyone notice, I didn't see any evidence of any ABC logo. But then, it wasn't until between October and December that Paul Rand's "abc" circle logo first came on the scene. G. Dean Smith's "circle 7" for the ABC O&O's was first inaugurated for its San Francisco outlet, KGO-TV, in late August, but I didn't see hide or hair of the logo on the other stations until December.

[@brianarbenz1329]

You know your trivia! I’m a follower of TV history and I appreciate that info. ABC, with many more UHF affiliates that the other networks, didn’t have as high a proportion of rural viewers as CBS and NBC, since VHF had a much larger broadcast range. So while the CBS and NBC emphasized rural comedies and Little House on the Prairie, ABC sought a more contemporary style. Hence the sans serif, lowercase informal logo. Plus their sitcoms families were suburban, and they had the urban verve with Mod Squad. Room 222 looked at social controversies and had the most multiracial cast. The other networks, particularly CBS soon turned in that direction, but ABC led. It knew how to use its smaller resources to innovate.

[@Texaslawhorn]

I know what I'll be watching Thursday nights!😉

[@luislaplume8261]

At that time ABC TV was not known as the Assinine Broadcasting Company TV network!

[@manidig]

The "Almost" broadcasting company.

[@lindaeasley5606]

By the time the decade was out ,John Astin would be married to little Party Duke ,the teenager of the Patty Duke show . Quite a difference in their ages

[@fromthesidelines]

Dick Tufeld, announcer.

[@larryaldrich4351]

Things would have been different if NBC wasn't the only network in 1962 with living color.

[@fromthesidelines]

"OUR MAN HIGGINS" was adapted from the 1951 NBC radio summer series "IT'S HIGGINS, SIR". It was opposite "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW", and really didn't have much of a chance to build a proper audience during the sole season it was on.

[@wmbrown6]

Although, ostensibly, the lead character in this show was a spin-off of the successful Broadway musical "My Fair Lady." Even played by the same actor, Stanley Holloway. I say "ostensibly" because the name of his character in that was way different. And for reasons mentioned above.

[@jehobden]

Nice look back at how stars of a top network tv series were used to promote the network's coming lineup. I think I recognize Severn Darden & Bartlett Robinson as the 2 men that antagonized Stoney Burke. Interesting how Mary & Donna pronounce "Ro-day-o", as if they were going to Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills. John Astin & Emmaline Henry appeared together again on BONANZA during its 11th season in 1969. By then they were likely better known as Gomez Addams & Amanda Bellows. I think I recognized a blond Kurt Russell in the line of boys on OUR MAN HIGGINS. MCHALE'S NAVY was the only show among these new shows that lasted more than 1 season. 1962-63 didn't turn out to be a good season for ABC, leading the network to promote 1963-64 (with some of its own flops) as "The New ABC".

[@spiff8862]

Yep. It was Kurt Russell.

[@mikedoran9851]

That first guy Jack Lord was talking to was Warren Oates, who was the second lead on Stoney Burke.

[@jehobden]

@@mikedoran9851 You're right. I checked for this listing on IMDB after my last comment & found Severn Darden never appeared on STONEY BURKE but Bartlett Robinson did.

[@UnclePaulsBeatlesPopPlayhouse]

With 3 dvd releases of seasons 1 thru 5. The latest being time life why couldn't this have been an extra?

[@joecab1]

Ohh that must be where Wilma's old cowboy bf Boney Hurdle got his name on the Flintstones

[@steventaylor6212]

This must have been a bad season for ABC. Very few of these show made it into syndication. Lots of talented actors here. Dick York, Kurt Russell, John Astin, this season was like a training ground for television..

[@wmbrown6]

Also Jack Lord. Who went farther in more ways than one beginning six years later on "another network" with "Hawaii Five-O."

[@georgeplagianos6487]

@@wmbrown6 "book them!!!" Seems to be Jack Lord's only mantra

[@tj.espygil4544]

The breakout show premiering in 1962 was the audience favorite CBS' "The Beverly Hillbillies" .

[@wmbrown6]

@@tj.espygil4544 - Yeah, I wonder why that was missing from this. ;-) Oh, right, it would have been in CBS' promo for the fall '62 season.

[@patrickmccarthy7877]

I was born August 18th of that year.

[@alpha-omega2362]

Tim Conway, always a great second banana and really became the star of McHale's Navy..

[@richarddismore5901]

Book em' Dano! :)

[@Thomas-yr9ln]

I always wondered what kind of sitcoms they used to have. I wish they would make a list of every single one even the ones that flopped out. They sure couldn't have been any worse than the sitcoms they have nowadays.

[@dalemulholland2387]

I don't watch tv today...it's all trash..

[@dianac5764]

Gene Kelley and Dick York in a TV show together?!

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

They did co-star in the movie, "Inherit the Wind."

[@ambikawolf664]

I was six then... Saw these shows.

[@tj.espygil4544]

I was seven. The biggest hit show premiering in 1962 was CBS' "The Beverly Hillbillies ".

[@victorkreitner754]

McGarrett breaking horses before he was a cop in Hawaii..lol Lord did a lot a western work before Hawaii Five- O

[@gregorydahl]

Imagine the camera on the other side of the room and everyone facing away at the wall talking .

[@allan5750]

Oh, boy. Warren Oates on Stoney Burke.

[@allan5750]

Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares are only ones still alive.

[@tj.espygil4544]

Paul's sister Patty Peterson who played Trish is still alive also.

[@victorkreitner754]

Yep, Shelley still married to MASH actor Mike Farrell.

[@michaelhewitt258]

Jack Lord Went from a rodeo to law enforcement

[@TheRetroGuy2000]

The way they say "rodeo"! Like the drive!

[@davidbaise5137]

Hey the narrator is the voice of the Lost in Space robot. Forget the fellow’s name…. Anybody out there care to give it please?

[@patrickmccarthy7877]

Those birds on his collar means he a colonel in other branches.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Well, McHale’s Navy certainly made it. But Jack Lord as a rodeo rider? Mr. _Book ‘em, Dano_ would probably prefer we not remember that one!

[@kbobdonahue1966]

ABC changed its logo that fall to the modern logo created by Paul Rand.

[@keithbrown8814]

The son in the promo had a TV remote...in 1962!?!?...wow interesting...

[@tj.espygil4544]

That's actor/author/child activist Paul Peterson.

[@daleburrell6273]

1:29...THE ROBOT ON "LOST IN SPACE"-(?)

[@esmeephillips5888]

This was the last ABC-TV season put together by its meteoric president, Oliver Treyz. He was determined to give CBS and NBC more heat by scheduling 'modern' shows full of 'broads, bosoms and fun' rather than prestige or period productions. Gunning for the new burbs audience of Boomers, he also vetoed domestic sitcoms with maids bc they were out of date. Treyz's breezy preferences were the main reason why Newton Minow, incoming FCC chairman, called television' a vast wasteland' and warned it must do better. Unfortunately Treyz also liked hard action, and that autumn his downfall came when he defended a particularly violent episode of 'Bus Stop' (starring Fabian, of all people) at an FCC hearing. He embarrassed his bosses and was fired, becoming an embittered drunk whose attempt at a comeback with the 'fourth network', Overmyer, lasted just one month in 1966. But Treyz's populism paved the way for ABC'S more solid success under Fred Silverman a decade later.

[@222amJohn]

Jack Lord will only be Steve McGarret. "Book 'em Danno!" If Jerry Seinfeld was able to time travel and try to pitch his show about nothing?

[@gregorydahl]

The first house looks like i dream of jeannies house

[@markcornish2519]

Weird to see Steve mcgarrett as a cowboy!

[@victorkreitner754]

Lord did a ton of acting in westerns. He did a great fight scene with Gary Cooper in the movie Man of the West..1958.

[@davidbaise5137]

It’s Dick Tufeld….

[@dianekeane7740]

Love Earnest Borgnine.

[@joannehochhauser5805]

😊♥️

[@rah62]

All bombs except for McHale's Navy.

[@dalemulholland2387]

The guy that played Christy on McHales navy was accused of child molestation..before his trial date he committed suicide .

[@esmeephillips5888]

'Going My Way' was seen as an effort to soften ABC's image as the sex-and-violence network. It was handicapped by Gene Kelly's ambivalence about taking over Bing Crosby's part, bc Kelly was a lapsed Catholic who privately despised the Church. Still, a sitcom that brought Darren, Don Lockwood and Mr Waverly together has to be worth sampling.

[@virginiaconnor8350]

Leo G. Carroll as Mr. Alexander Waverly was on tv as the head on "Man From U.N.C.L.E." and also played on "Topper".

[@keithhyttinen8275]

The best one was Mchale's Navy. Funny stuff.

[@jamesmiller4184]

Jack Lord! Standard bearer for the severe, hard-a**ed humorless type character, to which I coin and assign the title: "The Joyless Bunch." Of TJB there were numbers such as Robert Conrad, another real case. He started out not so bad in Hawaiian Eye being rather loose and not so intent on burying of past youthful indiscretions but, by the time he got to WWW, he'd hardened-up to high mohs scale, fearful, as one might suppose, that a smile might crack his face, causing it to fall off! (What might such males have to HIDE? Rhetorical! Consciously or not, ALL males KNOW, when and where endeavoring to.) Then, of the bunch belonging we had Ben Gazzara, one of the very hardest of the stony breed. (He belonging also to an exclusive TJB sub-group "The Shoulder Chip Men" or TSCM -- of which Robert Culp and Patrick McGoohan were card carrying members, never to be found out of character.) More TJBs?: Robert Stack, another type only too evident in The Untouchables. Stone-face! If any humor were ever to threaten to intrude, he'd get real antsy and fight the humorous sweet note. Now, admittedly in Stack's case, this was primarily a constructed default character trait but, was one often effected into other roles. When off-character tho, Stack was genuinely capable of humor exchange, both giving as well as taking it -- the man authentically was possessing of savoi faire et joi de vivre, no question. Patrick McGoohan was a anti-humor type but the trait was always mandated by the character types he portrayed, ones such as No. 6 in "The Prisoner" and, his "Columbo" appearances. Also, McGoohan was endowed with authentic intellect, which he used to maximum efficiency. (And also, like Bruce Boxleitner and a very few others, took fine special care of his fans, actually respecting us.) The Quinn/Martin guys, Peter Gunn and Mr. Lucky both very much were their own men, with Gunn being somewhat like Stack but, with his trade-mark particular wry humor always there, and at-the-ready to surface when needed. John Vivyan (ever-classy Mr. Lucky) was half-serious gambler/odds maker and giver, and with sidekick Ross Martin (Adamo) that other half being always ready for fun and adventure! And speaking of Martin, he helped make the Conradian intense Severity Pill easier to swallow. Kind-of. (Sometimes.) On the TJB Scale of Severity, ten being the worst-best, Gazzara at "10" takes the Grand Award -- his obvious anger boiling just subterra, being ever-ready to spill over into near, tearing madness. (One role of his that one particularly recalls: the one where his hard-a**ed ways forced his troubled drug-taking gay young son to suicide! An excellent role for him. We will remember it and he.) Jack Lord, for his demeanor and "acting" ability, will always be remembered not for himself, but rather for the success he did help bring to "Hawaii-Five-O" a true beloved CLASSIC of the little gray screen. "Book 'im Dano!: Murder 1".

[@chuckfrost5624]

Robert Conrad was very short, there was an element of fear of larger men. This is very understandable.

[@jamesmiller4184]

@@chuckfrost5624 I did not know that, Chuck. Yes. As you mention it, that likely could have been the case. -- Thanks!

[@brianarbenz1329]

Excellent observations, James Miller. That icewater-in-the-veins unflinching type becomes a parody of itself over time.

[@keithbrown8814]

Dont forget Martin Milner...no personality at all..very dry!!

[@jamesmiller4184]

@@keithbrown8814 YES! Milner. Of course. (How could I have?) He served I think, as nice background to George Maharis while traveling THE Route and, is with us still in his nineties. (Milner however, being not.) Thanks mucho, K.B., for the timely heads-up.

[@thewkovacs316]

only one that made it was mchales navy jack lord luckily escaped bucking broncos and moved to hawaii ive never seen the tv version, but the radio version of our man higgins is putrid

[@gregorydahl]

He got kicked and left in the barn so he quit just for that ?

[@ChachiTelevision1979]

Ro-DAY-Ohs

[@MediaWest]

wow. acid flashback... this was the year shelley fabares did the song 'johnny angel'... paul peterson's parents ripped him off. abc was the lowball network. stoney burke is now a porno name...

[@luisreyes1963]

The only one to survive was the inane WW2 sitcom, McHale's Navy. I'm Dickens, He's Fenster was never given a chance. 🙁

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

It's also the only one seen in reruns in 2023.

[@deborahmiller1214]

Those rodeos were so cruel to animals. Uggh

[@joeburinskas8672]

A rodeo? Animal abuse